The Rabbit Project:
365 Porcelain wall-hanging bunnies to benefit brain cancer research
In March 2019, sculptor Amber Aguirre’s world changed when her daughter, Kailei, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Although a craniotomy successfully removed the tumor, it began growing back just a year later. Its location near Kailei’s speech and vision centers made further surgery impossible, and a genetic mutation (POT1) meant that chemotherapy and radiation were too dangerous, carrying a high risk of triggering secondary cancers. Kailei’s best hope is a targeted drug that can slow or halt the tumor’s growth — but ongoing research is critical to outpace the tumor’s ability to adapt.
Determined to help, Aguirre turned to her art. Inspired by Kailei’s deep love of rabbits and the hope symbolized by the 2023 Chinese Year of the Rabbit, she created The Rabbit Project. Through the sale of porcelain rabbits — each one handmade with love — Aguirre is raising funds for brain cancer research at UCLA’s Lai Lab, where Dr. Albert Lai is working to find solutions for Kailei and others like her. First exhibited at a solo show at the John Natsoulas Center for the Arts in Davis, California, the rabbits remain available for purchase, with all of the artists' proceeds directly supporting this vital and life-changing research.
